memeorandum: Finland ‘finds Patriot missiles’ on China-bound ship (BBC)

6:45 PM ET, December 22, 2011

Top Items:

House Republicans Agree To Payroll Deal — House Republicans on Thursday crumpled under the weight of White House and public pressure and have agreed to pass a two-month extension of the payroll-tax cut, Republican and Democratic sources told National Journal.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Firedoglake, American Prospect, The Moderate Voice, The Raw Story, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, Hullabaloo, Ricochet Conversations Feed, Campaign 2012, White House Dossier, Daily Kos, National Review, Wake up America and Indecision Forever

Susan Jones / CNSNews:

‘Waa, No Pizza Night’: Sad Stories Roll In at Request of Obama White House — (CNSNews.com) - The White House says it's been flooded with responses to the question it posed Wednesday: “What does $40 mean to you?” — One day after the White House asked “working” people to …

Discussion: The Jawa Report, The Lonely Conservative, Michelle Malkin and Hot Air

Brian Beutler / tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com:

TPMDC — BREAKING: House Republicans Cave, Agree To Two-Month Payroll Tax Cut Extension — A top Senate Democratic aide says House Republicans have privately offered up the terms of their surrender on the payroll tax cut, pending sign off from their notoriously unwieldy caucus.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and Mediaite

The Politico:

On payroll tax cut, GOP caves to Obama — House Republicans caved to President Barack Obama's demand for a two-month payroll tax cut extension, ending an impasse that threatened to raise taxes on millions of Americans on Jan. 1. — The capitulation came fast Thursday afternoon …

Discussion: msnbc.com, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Swampland, ABCNEWS, The PJ Tatler, ThinkProgress, The Moderate Voice, Indecision Forever, Sky Dancing, CNN, Daily Kos, Opinion L.A. and Roll Call

The Politico:

McConnell: Pass short-term extension — In a blow to House Republicans, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has called on the House to pass a two-month payroll tax extension — while pushing Democrats to negotiate a full year extension of the tax break. — McConnell's statement came …

Discussion: Washington Post, Bloomberg, Gawker, Booman Tribune, The Mahablog, Daily Kos and US Politics

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

McConnell sides with Dems over Boehner — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has been awfully quiet the last few days, as House Republicans rebel against the bipartisan payroll-tax-cut compromise he negotiated and helped pass last weekend. This morning that changed.

Discussion: Associated Press, Firedoglake, The New Republic and Talking Points Memo

CNN:
Payroll tax standoff continues

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Weasel Zippers, Mediaite, The Lonely Conservative and This Just In

John Parkinson / ABCNEWS:
Boehner Asks White House to Negotiate, but Obama Declines Invitation

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

msnbc.com:
First Thoughts: What we learned from the Romney interview

Discussion: Reuters, The Politico and Washington Monthly

CBS News:
Karl Rove piles on, tells Republicans to cut bait in tax standoff

Discussion: Guardian, Blue Mass Group, American Prospect, DCCC, NO QUARTER, Gothamist and The Week

Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:
Senate G.O.P. Chief Weighs In With Plan for Payroll Tax Deal

Discussion: Prairie Weather, RedState, The Caucus, U.S. Senate Republican … and The New Republic

David Jackson / USA Today:
Obama endorses McConnell payroll tax cut plan

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The New Republic and White House.gov Blog

Tim Mak / The Politico:
Rep. Dave Camp floats 3-month extension

Discussion: Opinion L.A. and Daily Kos

Washington Post:
House GOP agrees to 2-month extension of payroll tax cut

Discussion: Calculated Risk

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Senate GOP worries tax standoff could cost them chance at upper chamber

Discussion: ABCNEWS, CNN, Outside the Beltway, The Politico, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Washington Post, Prairie Weather and ThinkProgress

Joe Holley / Rick Perry 2012 Campaign for President:

Bush 41 backs Romney for president, admits he's not Gingrich's ‘biggest advocate’ — 1,587 — Less than two weeks before Iowa Republicans make their crucial caucus choices on the night of Jan. 3, George H.W. Bush offered words of support, if not an official endorsement, to an old friend, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Discussion: Reuters, The Caucus, American Prospect, The Politico, CNN, The Hill, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Mediaite, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Hot Air, GOP 12, Campaign 2012 and The Raw Story

Andrew Cain / Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Bachmann, Huntsman, Santorum not on Va. primary ballot — Four Republican presidential candidates - Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and Ron Paul — submitted paper work in time to qualify for Virginia's March 6 primary ballot. — No other GOP contender will be on the Virginia ballot.

Discussion: Ballot Box, msnbc.com and The Other McCain

Gschwarzcnn / CNN:
Santorum: Vander Plaats said ‘he needed money to promote the endorsement’

Discussion: Iowa Caucuses, The Politico, National Review, Good As You, GOP 12 and The Other McCain

Kevin Hoffman / The Blotter:

Gay community apologizes to Amy Koch for ruining her marriage — The gay and lesbian community of Minnesota has issued a letter of apology to recently resigned Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch for ruining the institution of marriage and causing her to stray from her husband and engage in an “inappropriate relationship.”

Discussion: Firedoglake, Boing Boing, Box Turtle Bulletin, Mediaite, Gawker, Truth Wins Out, Daily Kos and Hot Dish Politics

Dorothy Rabinowitz / Wall Street Journal:

What Ron Paul Thinks of America — It seemed improbable that the best-known American propagandist for our enemies could be near the top of the pack in the Iowa contest, but there it is. — Ron Paul's supporters are sure of one thing: Their candidate has always been consistent …

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Don Surber, Business Insider, GOP 12, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Post, msnbc.com, Balloon Juice, The Humble Libertarian, LewRockwell.com Blog, American Power, neo-neocon, Wizbang, INSTAPUTZ and The Daily Caller

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Paul in 1995: Say, have you read my newsletters?

Discussion: Hit & Run, Total Return, The Atlantic Online, Don Surber, ProfessorBainbridge.com, Leon_H_Wolf's blog, Right Wing News, Outside the Beltway, Mediaite, Big Journalism, American Power and USA Today, more at Mediagazer »

Jackie Kucinich / USA Today:
Paul's story changes on racial comments

Discussion: ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Wall Street Journal, Little Green Footballs, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Stinque, Sky Dancing, Hit & Run, Melanie Phillips, Pirate's Cove, RedState, Hot Air, The Right Scoop, The Daily Caller, CNN, Outside the Beltway and Mediaite

Alex Alvarez / Mediaite:
Hey, CNN? Can We Talk About What's Going On Between You And Ron Paul?

Discussion: Gawker, The Week, Daily Kos, Indecision Forever, The Moderate Voice, THEROOT.COM, The Reaction and The Humble Libertarian

Mj Lee / The Politico:

Chris Christie opens door to VP job — Chris Christie says that while he and Mitt Romney have never discussed a potential vice presidential role for the New Jersey governor, it would still be “presumptuous” for him to turn his back on the possibility. — In an interview with Fox News …

Discussion: Runnin' Scared

Gschwarzcnn / CNN:
Christie's open to V.P. nod

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Annie Lowrey / New York Times:

Signs Point to Economy's Rise, but Experts See a False Dawn — WASHINGTON — As the fourth quarter draws to a close, a spate of unexpectedly good economic data suggests that it will have some of the fastest and strongest economic growth since the recovery started in 2009 …

Discussion: Washington Post, The Atlantic Online, Outside the Beltway, Prairie Weather, The Enterprise Blog, Booman Tribune and American Power

CNBC:
Jobless Claims Drop Again; GDP Growth Slows to 1.8%

Discussion: U.S. Bureau …, MarketBeat, Hot Air and msnbc.com

Mackenzie Weinger / The Politico:

Jim Sensenbrenner sorry for ‘big butt’ quip — Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner sent a note of apology Thursday to Michelle Obama for referring to her “large posterior” and “big butt,” his spokesperson told POLITICO. — Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) was overheard talking about the first lady's healthy food initiative …

Discussion: Indecision Forever, FishbowlDC, Mediaite, Weasel Zippers, Gawker, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and ABCNEWS

Daniel Bice / JSOnline:
Sensenbrenner apologizes to first lady over “big butt” remark

Discussion: FishbowlDC, The Huffington Post, Swampland, Colorlines and iOwnTheWorld.com

Bill Adair / PolitiFact:

Fact-checking in the Echo Chamber Nation — At a Republican campaign rally a few years ago, I asked one of the attendees how he got his news. — “I listen to Rush and read NewsMax,” he said. “And to make sure I'm getting a balanced view, I watch Fox.” — My liberal friends …

Discussion: Daily Kos, US Politics, Pressthink, Campaign 2012, Los Angeles Times and Mediaite

New York Post:

Former Congressman Anthony Weiner's wife gives birth to baby boy — After a year filled with ridicule and scandal, disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner finally has something he can feel proud about — a new baby boy. — Weiner's wife, Huma Abedin, gave birth to the wee Democrat yesterday …

Discussion: Gothamist, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, Runnin' Scared and msnbc.com

Alex Massie / Spectator:

Say what you will about North Korea, at least they're authentically Korean — Drivel, of course, and the kind of thing you'd expect to find in the Guardian. One expects rather more from the Times but, nay, here is a piece of Simon Winchester's column (£) today:

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Samizdata.net

timesplus.co.uk: Russia rents Kensington Palace field for Olympics

George F. Will / Washington Post:

Gingrich, the anti-conservative — When discussing his amazingness, Newt Gingrich sometimes exaggerates somewhat, as when, discussing Bosnia and Washington, D.C., street violence, he said, “People like me are what stand between us and Auschwitz” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jan. 16, 1994].

Discussion: Hit & Run, Power Line, The Spectacle Blog, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, The Volokh Conspiracy, National Review and Cato @ Liberty

ProPublica:

How Democrats Fooled California's Redistricting Commission — This spring, a group of California Democrats gathered at a modern, airy office building just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol. The meeting was House members only — no aides allowed — and the mission was seemingly impossible.

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Politics Blog, RedState, Big Government, Daily Kos, Hotline On Call, Political Mojo, Campaign 2012, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Ballot Box

Stephen Colbert / The State:

Colbert guest editorial: Naming rights, state mottoes and the GOP primary + video — As a proud son of South Carolina I must address recent unsubstantiated rumors published in The State that I, Stephen Colbert, tried to buy the naming rights to the 2012 Republican primary.

Discussion: msnbc.com, Mediaite, Los Angeles Times and 2012 Decoded